The Washington Post has an article on Assisted Living on today's front page. It is the major feature article, and I recommend anyone considering personal or family placement to read it. The AL industry is being gutted of resources by real estate investment trusts that have tax advantages and pay high dividends. They own the buildings, and require that management provide expected profits (of which they take on average 30% of rental income).

In addition to the excellent article here and the new one in the WP, I suggest asking what wages are for staff and how long the average staff member, not management, has been employed there. At most AL facilities wages are low and turnover is very high. Staff to resident ratios are actually inconsistent, especially for night shifts. This can and does create safety issues, especially for residents with cognitive impairment.
(0)
Report

EXCELLENT!!!

I spent 5+ years as an advocate and adjunct care provider for my mother, who was trapped in a nursing home (part of a continuing care retirement community, where my mom had a Life Care contract). On average, I was there 8 hours per day - meaning I spent well over 10,000 hours there. The things you touched on are excellent.

The only thing I would add is that it is important to visit in the evening (between 8:00 and 10:00 PM) and on a weekend day after 5:00 PM.
(2)
Report

This is a great list of helpful tips! I will be using this in the future.
(6)
Report

This is the best list of this nature I've ever come across. After 6 months of experience having mom and dad in assisted living, I learned much of this the hard way. I sure wish I had seen this earlier! Anyway, thank you for writing this, and I've put much of the content on my list of requirements by which to evaluate facilities.
(5)
Report

I would like help in choosing a care facility.
(2)
Report

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter